Stijn Schaars
Encyclopedia
Stefanus Johannes "Stijn" Schaars (ˈstɛin ˈsxaːrs; born on the 11th of January 1984 in Gendt
, Gelderland
) is a Dutch
footballer who currently plays in the Portuguese Liga for Sporting Clube de Portugal and the Netherlands national team
as a midfielder.
and made his debut for the club on the 9th of March 2003 in a 4–1 away defeat to FC Utrecht. In 2005, he was signed by AZ.
which the Netherlands won 4–0. Earlier that year he was the captain of the Dutch side that won the UEFA U-21 Championship 2006.
An ankle injury prevented Schaars from taking part in most of the 2006–07 season and he didn't play a single Eredivisie game during the following season. This effectively ruled out his chances of taking part in EURO 2008 with the Netherlands.
Schaars was included in the preliminary squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
in South Africa
. On 27 May 2010, Netherlands manager Bert van Marwijk
announced that the player would be part of the final squad of 23 participating in the competition.
AZ
Netherlands
Gendt
Gendt is a city in Gelderland in the municipality of Lingewaard. It was previously a municipality of its own, but in 2001 it merged with Huissen and Bemmel to form the new municipality Lingewaard. The city is located on the river Waal, about 5 km northeast of the city of Nijmegen. It received...
, Gelderland
Gelderland
Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,...
) is a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
footballer who currently plays in the Portuguese Liga for Sporting Clube de Portugal and the Netherlands national team
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
as a midfielder.
Club career
He began his career at Vitesse ArnhemVitesse Arnhem
Stichting Betaald Voetbal Vitesse is a Dutch football club from Arnhem, which was founded on 14 May 1892. Vitesse has had considerable success in the Eredivisie, and featured in the UEFA Cup competition, but has never been considered a close competitor of the top three clubs of Netherlands...
and made his debut for the club on the 9th of March 2003 in a 4–1 away defeat to FC Utrecht. In 2005, he was signed by AZ.
Sporting Clube de Portugal
On the 16th of June 2011, Schaars signed for the Portuguese Sporting Clube de Portugal for a 850.000 euros fee. He scored his first goal for the club in a 3-2 away win against Rio Ave.International career
His debut for the national team came on August 16, 2006, as he started in a friendly versus Republic of IrelandRepublic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
which the Netherlands won 4–0. Earlier that year he was the captain of the Dutch side that won the UEFA U-21 Championship 2006.
An ankle injury prevented Schaars from taking part in most of the 2006–07 season and he didn't play a single Eredivisie game during the following season. This effectively ruled out his chances of taking part in EURO 2008 with the Netherlands.
Schaars was included in the preliminary squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. On 27 May 2010, Netherlands manager Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk OON is the coach of the Netherlands national football team. He also played for Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV, Fortuna Sittard, and other clubs, as well as for the Dutch national team. In 1982, he began his transition into coaching, retiring as a player in 1988 and becoming a full time...
announced that the player would be part of the final squad of 23 participating in the competition.
Club honours
AZ
- EredivisieEredivisieThe Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
- Winner (1): 2008–09Eredivisie 2008-09The Eredivisie 2008–09 is the fifty-third season of Eredivisie since its establishment in 1955. PSV were the reigning champions. The season began on 29 August 2008 with a game between Vitesse and FC Groningen and ended on 10 May 2009. A total of 18 teams take part in the league, consisting of 16...
- Winner (1): 2008–09
- Johan Cruijff Shield
- Winner (1): 2009Johan Cruijff-schaal XIVThe 2009 Johan Cruijff Schaal was held on 25 July 2009 in the Amsterdam ArenA. The match featured the Eredivisie 2008–09 champions AZ and KNVB Cup 2008–09 winners Heerenveen. The match started off the 2009–10 season in Dutch football.-Match details:...
- Winner (1): 2009
International honours
NetherlandsNetherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
- Netherlands Under-21Netherlands national under-21 football teamThe Netherlands national under-21 football team is the national under-21 team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association. The team competes in the European Under-21 Championship, held every two years....
- Winner: 2006 UEFA Euro Under-212006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Final:-Goalscorers:4 goals Klaas Jan Huntelaar3 goals Thomas Kahlenberg Nicky Hofs2 goals Bryan Bergougnoux Ruslan Fomin Artem Milevskiy...
- Winner: 2006 UEFA Euro Under-21
- FIFA World Cup 2010: (Group E Champion)